VARIOUS | ROC Women's Music Fest

The importance of women in music has always been monumental — from Hildegard von Bingen and Francesca Caccini to Sister Rosetta Tharpe and Joni Mitchell. On Friday, the City of Rochester will pay tribute in a big way with the first-ever ROC Women's Music Fest, coinciding with the centennial of women's suffrage in New York state. The evening-long concert will feature performances from prominent local musicians Mikaela Davis and Teagan and the Tweeds alongside headlining sets from MC Lyte, Meshell Ndegeocello (pictured), and Joan Osborne — a trio of women who have all been fixtures in popular music for the better part of three decades. There will also be female-run food trucks — including Le Petit Poutine, Sweet Sammie Jane's, and Whole-E Roasters — and tables set up to learn more about local women-led groups.

The ROC Women's Music Fest takes place on Friday, July 21, at Parcel 5 downtown, East Main and Cortland Streets. 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. $5. 428-6690; cityofrochester.gov/womensfest.